Chakhokhbili
Chicken stewed in its own juices with plenty of onions and ripe tomatoes, finished with garlic and a fistful of fresh herbs. The name comes from the pheasant it was once made with; bone-in chicken thighs are what most families use now.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs — 1 kg
- butter — 40 g
- onion, thinly sliced — 3 pcs
- ripe tomatoes — 800 g
- garlic cloves — 4 pcs
- khmeli suneli — 2 tsp
- chilli flakes — 0.5 tsp
- coriander, chopped — 30 g
- fresh basil, chopped — 15 g
- parsley, chopped — 15 g
- salt — 1.5 tsp
- black pepper — 0.5 tsp
Instructions
- Put the chicken skin-side down in a dry heavy pot over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, turning, until browned in its own fat.
- Add the butter and onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until the onions are soft.
- Score the tomatoes, cover with boiling water for 1 minute, then peel and chop them finely.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, khmeli suneli and chilli, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes more so the sauce thickens.
- Crush the garlic and stir it in with the herbs and pepper, then take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes before serving.